The Bookstore Discovery
by thislongstoryshort
Summary: FTL post curse. Bae meets and befriends Belle in a bookstore in the town closest to the Dark Castle. Belle is not aware this is the Dark One's son, and Rumpelstiltskin is not aware his son's new friend is his True Love. Will they ever realize their connection of Bae?
1. Chapter 1

After the curse was broken, there was no one guarding Belle in the tower where she had been. Not wanting to waste good luck, she escaped as fast as she could with some food she could find. She traveled several days until she made it to a town. This town wasn't that small, but it was big enough to have a bookstore.

Belle had always loved to read. Not for the joy of reading, but for the adventures she read about in far-away places. It was because of this she always wanted to travel, and as she became older reading about other places was a form of travel.

Inside the bookstore Belle browsed around, absent mindedly arranging the books on the shelves. The owner watched her for some time, and soon realized she was no threat, just an innocent woman.

"You know, you can come back tomorrow and continue with what you're doing. We open at eight," he said gruffly.

Belle beamed at this. And so she began working at the bookstore in the town Naltag.

Rumpelstiltskin couldn't find his son. He was finished with what he needed in town, and was ready to get back to the Dark Castle and put the towns' people at ease. After the curse had been broken and everyone returned to Fairytale Land, Rumpelstiltskin was held with a bit more respect for the part he played in it, but he was still feared, and it still made most people uncomfortable to be around him. After all, the Dark One was still the Dark One. But he had found Bae, and that's all that mattered to him.

Rumpelstiltskin passed the bookstore and then remembered, that's where Bae said he would be!

"Bae?" he called out opening the door.

"Coming!" his son's voice answered him. Rumpelstiltskin heard him bid goodbye to someone then come walking to the front.

"Ready Papa?" he asked.

"Ready Bae, let's go home."

Belle enjoyed talking with and telling stories to her young friend Bae. Like most kids, or in his case young adults, he was very interested in stories about the land without magic from the curse. Although Belle could tell much about what happened after Emma, the savior, had come, she had still talked with those who had been there firsthand. And Bae loved it.

This boy seemed to remind her of someone, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. But still, the teen was impossible not to like. He was always curious, but polite and respectful.

"Bae, you remind me of someone. Is it possible I might know your mother or father?" she finally asked one day while he was in the store.

"No, my mother's probably dead by now and my father and I come from a far-away place," he replied, wishing the subject would change.

"Could I have seen your father around town?"

"Maybe, but I don't think so."

"Bae?" a voice called out. A voice Belle would never forget.

"Coming!" Bae jumped up and quickly bid Belle a goodbye, saying he had to go now.

After Bae left, Belle went into shock. She never thought she would hear that voice again, the voice of Rumpelstiltskin.


	2. Chapter 2

Bae was nervous to go back to the bookstore the next time he and Rumpelstiltskin needed to be in town. Isa was such a nice person, and he didn't really think she would treat him different, but he still worried. However, she met him at the front of the shop with a smile when he walked in.

"Hello Bae, what would you like to hear about today?" she asked.

"You still want me around? Even after who my father is?"

"Who's your father?" Belle asked back, deciding it would be better if he didn't know she knew. The boy was torn up about it.

"You don't know? He came to get me last time."

"I know. But it doesn't matter to me who your father is. In fact, I'd rather not know, if that will make you feel any better," she answered taking his hand and leading him to the back where they normally sat behind the shelves.

"Really?" Bae almost couldn't believe it, Isa was amazing.

"Really," she smiled. "So what story would you like?" she asked, settling into her usual chair while Bae settled into his across from her.

"You haven't told any about Rumpelstiltskin yet, do you know any about him, Isa?" he asked timidly. His father was reluctant to talk about time spent in that land without magic before he found him.

"Yes, I know a few, is there anything in particular?"

"Is there anything about him loving someone? The Dark Curse revolved around the love of Snow White and Prince James, and True Love was something it revolved around. Was there someone Rumpelstiltskin loved?"

"There is a story about it, but it doesn't happen in the land without magic, it happened here at his own castle. He acquired a woman to take care of his castle through a deal, and while she was there they fell in love. Then they kissed and the curse of the Dark One was broken for a moment. When Rumpelstiltskin realized this he freaked out and sent her away, thinking the Evil Queen had set her against him to steal his powers. Once she was gone, the Evil Queen kidnapped her and kept her in a tower, but she told Rumpelstiltskin she had died.

"Sorry the story's not very detailed, much of it is only rumors," Belle said.

"But what happened? Is that woman still alive?" Bae asked eagerly.

"Yes, but no one knows where she is."

Bae could tell Isa didn't really want to go into it, so he let the subject rest. Instead he spent the rest of his time there browsing until it was time for him to meet his father.

After Bae left, Belle hoped she did the right thing in telling him.

"Papa, why do you keep that cup there, it's chipped," Bae asked that night as they ate dinner, referring to a chipped tea cup that sat on a platform.

Rumpelstiltskin sighed and set down his fork. "It belonged to my True Love, but she died," he said softly, his voice lowering from its usual higher pitch.

"How do you know she died? I think she might still be alive," Bae questioned.

"Regina told me." Then he stopped, realizing what he just said. "I bet Regina lied!" he hissed. "Wait, how would you know she's alive?"

"I'll never say," Bae said straight faced.

Rumpelstiltskin stared at him for a moment. "It was your friend from the bookstore wasn't it?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**In response to this chapter being confusing, here's an edited version. Sorry, I was running 20 different directions and my brain must have been fried. But thank you so much to those who made me aware of the confusingness, I hope I got everything all straightened out. Enjoy **_

Bae wasn't quite sure how to respond to this.

"So what if it was? She's a storyteller, so she heard it from _someone_," he said.

"True," Rumpelstiltskin replied, letting it go. But he continued to think about it, it would be a good idea to talk to this friend of Bae's and see what they knew.

They continued to eat in silence, until Bae asked, "What's her name? It can't hurt to tell me her name."

"Belle," Rumpelstiltskin said reverently, "Her name was Belle."

Then next morning, while Bae was still asleep, Rumpelstiltskin magicked himself into town and walked over to the bookstore. He paused at the door, unsure if he wanted to open this can of worms asking questions about Belle would surely be.

He wanted to go in, but he just couldn't. He stood outside of the shop for what felt like hours, until the town started to come alive. He got close though, at one point his hand was on the door knob about to turn.

Rumpelstiltskin knew standing out there was no use, so he magicked himself back to the Dark Castle; Bae would be waking up soon.

Belle had watched Rumpelstiltskin stand there outside, wondering why he was there. Had Bae said something to him? She would find that likely.

Belle wished he would've come in, but part of her was scared for that to happen. If he still believed she was dead, how would he take seeing her? Would he accept her, or would he find some way to discredit her existence like he had found a reason to deny her love for him?

Quin, the owner of the shop, gave her a funny look. "Have the two of you met before?" he asked.

Belle nodded.

"Bad deal?"

"No, not quite," she replied. "But there were some…issues between us last we saw each other."

Quin could tell this was a sensitive matter to her, so he didn't pry. Isabelle's affairs were her own.

The next week Bae came back once again, always eager to hear more stories. While he was there, Quin needed Belle's help finding a book, so he called out to her, "Isabelle, where did you place the cookbooks?"

Belle excused herself for a moment to help the customer.

_Isabelle_, Bae got to thinking. It would give you the name Isa, and the name Belle.

"Belle?" he asked as she sat back down when she got back.

"Yes?" she answered on reflex.

"Ha! So you are my father's True Love!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, I am," she gave in, knowing if he was anything like his father it was pointless to try to deny it.

"So why don't you try to see him or something?" he asked. After all, they were each other's True Love; shouldn't they want to be together?

"It's not that simple. Your father told me to leave, and so I did. Should he learn I'm alive, whether or not we meet is up to him. I can't just go and surprise him like that. In fact, he probably wouldn't think I'm real," she explained.

Bae understood. As the Dark One, his father had made lots of enemies, Regina being only one. But of all things, magic endured. So if Regina had created or made someone aware of the likeness of the Dark One's True Love, there was nothing so say it hadn't died with Regina's magic.

Then there was a tinkling of the door opening followed by a hesitant, "Bae?" from Rumpelstiltskin, who then started to walk to the back of the store where they were.

"Speak of the devil," Belle muttered, glancing around for a way to make her escape. But there was only one way out of that alcove, and Rumpelstiltskin was walking right toward it.


	4. Chapter 4

Belle sat very still as Rumpelstiltskin made his way around the corner, keeping her back to him.

"Bae?" he said, calling to his son. Rumpelstiltskin knew this must be his son's friend, the one who knew something of Belle. But he could see the way she sat up straighter, tenser, as he came closer. Poor girl, he thought. He kept his distance as Bae hurried to his side. He saw her relax as he moved away, slumping farther into the large armchair.

Just as Bae started to walk away with his father, he turned around and called back, "Goodbye Isabelle!" but placing a little more stress on the _belle_ part of it. Had Rumpelstiltskin turned back with his son, he would have seen Isa blush.

Bae couldn't stop grinning to himself as he and his father went home. He knew Belle had noticed his not so subtle hint. But did Rumpelstiltskin? Bae didn't think so. He quiet as usual traveling on the way back to the Dark Castle.

But what Bae couldn't see was Rumpelstiltskin's thoughts. The whole time he couldn't get the image of the woman with the brown curls out of his head. Brown curls that were so similar to Belle's. That so often had sunk into that huge wingback armchair by the fire in the library of the Dark Castle the same way they had sunk into that armchair at the bookstore.

Thoughts of Belle captured his mind the rest of the day and invaded his dreams that night. In his dreams she mocked him, calling him a coward for not looking for her. She also ran to him with open arms, forgiving every wrong he had ever committed against her.

These dreams of Belle kept him up the rest of the night. It got to the point where he would refuse to close his eyes in fear of which Belle would greet him. The same thing happened the next night, and the one after that. In fact, the dreams continued for the rest of the week. It soon became so bad that Rumpelstiltskin was simply not going to bed, thinking that would solve the problem. Being the Dark One had its advantages, such as not having a real need for sleep.

But that didn't stop the dream Belle. He soon started seeing her everywhere in the castle. Whether it was cleaning like she used to or shaking her head silently as he worked in his tower room all alone, she invaded his entire day.

Bae was awakened the third night Rumpelstiltskin hadn't slept by strange flashes of light followed by cursing and accusations coming from the tower whenever what he was working on failed. Judging by the colorfulness of the swearing, this project had failed many times before.

Bae made his was up to the tower cautiously, knowing that occasionally magic went array.

"Why won't you leave me alone!" he roared, tossing more flasks into his giant caldron. "Just get out of my life! I told you to go before, and I'm telling you to go now! I don't want you!"

"Dad?" Bae hesitantly entered. "Who are you talking to?"

Rumpelstiltskin froze in what he was doing, sending a quick glance into the corner. Bae looked too; the corner was empty.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Bae asked.

"She won't go," he replied in the high pitch of the Dark One. "I keep trying but she won't go."

"Who Dad? Who won't go?" Bae asked.

"Belle," he whispered eyes wide. "She haunts my days and destroys my dreams."

Bae thought for a moment. "Have you considered a dream potion? One that will prevent you from dreaming?" he asked.

"Yes, I don't have one, so I'm trying to make my own!" he exclaimed.

"Have you ever thought of getting a book that would have the instructions in it?" Bae suggested.

Rumpelstiltskin froze. The boy was right! He would go and find a book! "Excellent idea, Bae! Where is the nearest bookstore?" he inquired of his son.

"There's one in town, I'm pretty sure that one will have something like what you will need," Bae said.

"Yes, yes, I should go there," Rumpelstiltskin answered then returned to pacing his study, muttering to himself.

Bae, feeling there was nothing more he could do, went back to his room.

The next day, Rumpelstiltskin went down into town, desperate for a sleeping potion. Haggard, he drug himself to the bookstore and went in, just barely remembering to stand up straight and look menacing.

The opening of the door rang a little bell placed above, summoning the store's assistant from the depths of the shop.

"Hello, how are…you?" Belle asked then shocked as she saw Rumpelstiltskin standing there.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Here's the last part! Sorry this took so long, I'd write an epilogue but it would probably take too long **____**. But maybe one day…we'll have to see. **_

To say Belle was shocked would be an understatement. She was beyond shocked; shocked so bad her mind could not seem to form any coherent thoughts, much less any sensible words. Instead of some greeting like, 'I still love you', 'So I guess you figured it out?', or 'I can't believe you kicked me out', she fell back on what she was trained to do in the event of a customer entering the store.

"How can I help you?" she squeaked.

Rumpelstiltskin shuffled a step closer. "I was, um, uh, looking for a book," he stammered.

"Any kind of book, uh, in particular?" Belle asked just as uncomfortable.

"A spell book," he said firmly, that being the one thing he was sure of. "I need one with a potion that will prevent dreams."

"Ok," Belle nodded her head, puzzled by this request. "Magic books are this way, if you'll follow me," she said, leading him through the winding shelves of the store to the very back, hidden from view.

"Why do you need to get rid of dreams?" she asked timidly. "Is Bae having nightmares or something?"

"No, it's not Bae," Rumpelstiltskin said quietly. "It's me."

"What's wrong?" Belle asked looking up at him.

Rumpelstiltskin had gone through enough to know that Belle was reaching out, giving him another chance. And he vowed to not screw it up this time.

"I can't get you out of my head. You wouldn't stay out of my dreams, so I stopped sleeping. Then I saw you everywhere in the Dark Castle. You're everywhere I turn, and it's driving me crazy, but it seems that this craziness has brought me to you."

"But if you've been seeing me everywhere, then how do you know I'm not another one of these visions?" Belle asked tentatively.

Rumpelstiltskin reached out and hesitantly placed a hand on the side of her face. "All the visions I saw of you had no substance, you do. I can't see the shelf through you; I can feel the warmth of your skin on my hand. You are _not_ part of my imagination, that I am sure of."

Belle smiled and slowly gave Rumpelstiltskin a hug, judging his reaction and giving him every chance to push her away. He hugged her back, holding her tightly.

"Belle, please come back," he whispered into her hair. "I need you."

"I already told you before, I will go with you forever," Belle replied.

"Excellent," he grinned into her hair, then spirited her away to the Dark Castle, much like he had when he first brought her to the Dark Castle.

Once they were there he still held onto her, refusing to let go. Belle didn't mind either, it had been so long since she had seen her true love.

"I'm sorry Belle, sorry for everything," he had told her.

Eventually they were discovered by Bae in search of his father. "Took you long enough," he grinned at them.

"Bae, would you mind having Belle stay with us? Forever?"

"Are you kidding me? That would be awesome!" Bae exclaimed.

"Good, and in keeping my promise to you-" Rumpelstiltskin said taking Belle's face and kissing her.

Magic happened; well it must have been, because starting with his face his skin began to change. Then it spread to the rest of his body, changing his scaled appearance to that of a normal, ordinary man.

Bae ran up and hugged the both, while they were still together, overjoyed that his dad finally kept the promise he had made to him all those years ago. Plus he had the feeling that he would soon be getting a new mother.

Belle wrapped her arms around him, accepting his choosing her and Bae over power.

It seemed they would be getting their happily ever after, after all.


End file.
